Saturday, February 28, 2009

Time to jump on my soapbox for a bit, but it is fashion related. The LA Times had a great article by Emili Vesilind yesterday about the difficulty of the average size( read plus) american woman finding fashionable clothes. According to the piece the average U.S. woman, is 162.9 pounds and wears a size 14. She goes on to say that this woman is treated like an anomaly by the fashion industry and stores. You see proof of that all the time.

So, what gives?

Right now stores want sales more than ever and these women have money to spend. They want great , and yes fashionable clothes. A whole market of potential customers is being ignored.

The article goes on to say how the industry is afraid of the " fat " label and making clothes for a larger size. Really, a 14 isn't even that large. As pointed out it's average and there are a lot of 12s out there too. 12 is not plus size.

What are we to do in a time when a German designer says Heidi Klum, better know as "The Body" is too "fat" to walk runways and a columnist twittering about the Golden Globes said how lovely Kate Winslet looked for a full figured woman. Kate's what, maybe a 10? Sadly in Hollywood that's full figured. It's also part of the problem. I can be celeb crazed but I do not subscribe to Hollywoods standard of unrealistic body shape. It is , however, greatly influencing fashion and everyone who watches movies, and TV.

News alert- most women don't look like that . Those that do, starve, exercise 5 hours a day( I kid you not, I've read them say this) have trainers, chefs and plastic surgeons as well as photo retouching. Real life doesn't come with any of that and would we want it? I'm not interested in any plastic surgery, I don't even beleive in Botox. Ok I would take a chef, but I'd want more than salad prepared .Thats what Jennifer Aniston had her chef prepare for lunch with her Vogue interviewer. I recall Renee Zellweger saying in an older Vogue that she ate plenty and her normal lunch was salad with one slice of salmon and no dressing. Thats plenty, alright.

I obviously love fashion and when I need something fabulous to wear I have a time more often than not. Luckily I think I am pretty good at putting outfits together and I know to search high and low. I also believe strongly in the power of the accessory. Always have no matter what size smaller or larger I have been.

Plus size women have money to spend, and the lack of great clothes means often that the handbag ,jewelry and beauty companies get all our money. Bless them,they come in one size.

Again, the article states " With hardly any high-end resources at their disposal, full-figured women still spent $18.6 billion on apparel in stores and online from December 2007 to November 2008, according to NPD Group."

Imagine what would be spent if one could find more than crappy printed flutter tops. First lesson- fitted is better. No matter your size, floaty rarely works, less so on a larger size. Please someone stop making fluttery, empire tops. A fitted shirt works wonders. Nice fabrics would be good too. Fashionable types don't prefer polyester. No one should.

One dear friend who has been very overweight her whole life until having lap band surgery last year , said once that "fat is the last accepted prejudice " , and I think she may be right. Karl Lagerfeld, who ,ok, lives in a world truly his own, was overweight for a very long time. Now he is slim and hates fat people. He makes horrid comments on weight. Do you think anyone ever said that to him when he was head of Chanel but fat? I doubt it. I have been a fan of his designs going back to those fat days ,but really can someone who wears black fingerless gloves every single day make such pronouncements?

All women are beautful. Isn't it time we embraced that wholeheartedly ? It can embraced with gorgeous wool military coats, cashmere blend trousers, cocktail dresses (some with sleeves) that don't resemble ones for Mothers of the Bride , leather, tissue silk ,etc

All that said, I can say that Macys and Bloomingdales both have a really great plus size selection. In my opinion, the best you'll find. It could be better but it's not bad. Some really nice and fashionable items are in there. They carry plus size lines by Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, INC, Anne Klein, Calvin Klein.

Anne Klein's line is the go to. No matter what size, you'll get fabulous clothes.

About 8 years ago H&M had a plus size section that has disappeared. They were but one of the stores that refused to comment for the LA Times piece.

Kudos to the the LA Times for running this piece and for Fashion Week Daily for picking up the link. After all LA is land of breast enhanced size 4s it seems. Lets hope it's the start of maybe someone taking note.

If you'd like to read the whole article ( and please do, it's really informative) here's the link:

Thanks too, for reading all this way. There's little I like more to write than opinion pieces( except beauty). Some things really inspire and this did. Theres a frustrated columnist in me, so if you know anyone who's hiring ... :)

Friday, February 27, 2009

Miss Dior Cherie L'Eau is a new scent additon to the Dior Miss Cherie line. A new formulation in an EDT it is light and springy. I would best describe it as a watery floral. I don't mean watered down , I mean with some aquatic feeling to it.

This new scent is aimed at the younger market, as was the original, who may be discovering Dior perfumes for the first time. A starter scent if you will. It has good sillage and strength for an EDT.

The perfume is very fresh and has soft, muted floral notes with little fruit, the fruit comes in a bit more in the drydown but this is definitely a floral, not a fruity floral.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Lancome has a hot new lipcolor out called La Laque Fever. Sounds racy and french doesn't it ? What it is , is gorgeous-ness . Fever , you give me fever.

La Laque Fever is made to be a lasting lip gloss. Lancome says up to 6 hours. I got 3 hours out of mine , that was with snacking( tortilla chips) and drinking. At around that 3 hour mark I still had more than half the lipshine on and plenty of shimmer.

I applied later in the day , so can't say how all day wear is yet.(this did better than many long last ones I've tried & without that dry, tacky feel)

Ok, so what else makes this special? It's very thick, more lipstick than gloss but comes with the bent wand applicator of the Color Fever glosses. I like this wand but know many don't. It really does make precise application much easier. The lipshine goes on like a dream, has great pigment, shimmer( in the shade I have at least) and makes your lips look full. It feels great on with a hint of moisturizing, looks great and does last well. It just feels very glam.

The colors shown in my swatches are Plum Savvy and Neutral Currant. Now the funny thing with the packaging here is that you need to actually swatch the lippie. Do not look at the band of color on the tube as it's totally different. I think that band is to represent color family. So my Plum Savvy which is a medium rosy plum, has a fuschia band on the tube.

Plum Savvy is a great neutral rosey lip and Neutral Currant is a bronze/brown with a hint of currant in there. It is also a medium shade. Both have shimmer.

There is a wide range of shades, so go check them out. They sell for 26.00 and are the perfect treat for yourself.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

British brand Elemis uses this in their Exotic Frangipani Monoi bath and shower creme and Moisture Melt body oil, and let me tell you it is Nectar of the Gods. Really. The smell is lush , creamy and instantly transporting to a tropical isle. Think Gardenia , and Coppertone but better. All big white flower lushness.

The bath creme is new . It's extremely creamy and it moisturizes really well. A real indulgence is what it feels & smells like. It uses Tahitian Monoi Oil which is a blend of Tiare flowers soaked in Coprah oil and then fragranced with Frangipani flowers. Swoon.

The Moisture Melt is obviously very moisturizing, but it is almost a dry oil so it sinks in pretty fast. Did I mention how wonderful it smells? There are so many uses for this, not only as a body oil, but as a foot oil( works great like that) , in your hair as a deep conditioner, on your cuticles.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Ok a bit more fashion week recapping. One of my fav hair brands- Sebasatian did the hair at Charlotte Ronson. I was supposed to be backstage for this but was not well that day and didn't make it. At least I got the info on the look and products even if it's not the same as being there. Lets hope for next season.

"Sebastian Professional lead stylist, Thomas Dunkin didn't want the ponytail to look too harsh so he juxtaposed a taught sleekness over the crown of the head with a natural texture at the back half of the ponytail for an interesting exit. Thomas ironed the first third of hair pin straight and misted a shimmer complex over the top of the head to create a surface shine that dramatizes the smoothness of the hair. Once combed back to a taught ponytail, the hair on the top of the head was smoothed with a shine spray and ultra-firm holding spray to control the look"

One product he used to finish the look is Shaper Fierce. This is a super haispray that I highly recommend for strong hold. Love the stuff.

Natalie Portman was one of the many ladies at the Oscars sporting an elegant updo. Kevin Mancuso working for /with Nexxus did her look.

She wore in her hair a custom made diamond hairpiece by Kwait ,who also loaned her a family heirloom bracelt made for the Kwiat matriarch. Not too shabby.

Natalie also rocked great lavender eye shadow. Thats not one you see often but it really worked on her.It was done using Chanel's Orient Express eye duo.

She's always such an elegant swan, if a bit too skinny. Eat Natalie.

Mancuso did "a sweeping side part and soft curl, pinned into a beautiful knot at the nape of her neck, and the look is deceptively easy to create. "

Here's how to get the look :

Step 1:· Apply a volumizing styler to the roots, like Nexxus Root Exxtend, to add body into the hair.

· Distribute a medium-hold mousse, such as Nexxus Mousse Plus, throughout hair to and maintain and support the structure of the style. More modern updos employ product instead of teasing to build body, for a softer, healthier look.

· Blow dry hair with a large round brush, concentrating on the ends to smooth the hair.

Step 2:· After drying, use a medium sized curling iron throughout the hair to create uneven waves and set the shape around the face.

· Once curled, create side part and pull hair back and away from the face.

· Then, take various sized sections of the curled hair and twist and pin back to create the updo.

· Insert an elegant, decorative pin above the updo to draw attention to the intricate details of the style.

Step 3:· Finish look with a light-weight hairspray, like Nexxus Comb Thru, to help secure the style throughout the evening.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Rimmel has a new Stay Matte foundation out, and you know this oily skinned girl was going to try it.

Years ago I tried their Cool Matte foundation and it was not good. Yet another of theirs, Double Act, was great. I had hopes this would be good and it is.

It is a more natural finish, I prefer medium finish but I can work with this. Thankfully its not sheer at least. I never understand why so many acne helping foundations are sheer. If you have big pores and acne, hello- you need coverage. This has nice coverage but some concealer may be needed at times. The foundation blends nicely and needs a ninute or two to set. It lasts really well and does help keep some of the oilies at bay most of the day.

It contains salicylic acid, zinc oxide( so good for battling acne), cucumber extract and cotton powder all to help the skin stay clear. Rimmel calls the mix of salicyclic acid and botanicals SkinPure complex fpr clarifying the skin as well as coverage.

For a drugstore foundstion this performs very well. It comes in many shades and sells for around 6.99 .

I am getting tired of the Recessionista phrase( even if may be appropriate), but this line has always been good quality at some of the lowest prices, so it is very much Recessionista approved.

Rimmel online has also redone their Virtual Makeover Tool which looks like a lot of fun. A chance for you to try on some of their products right there.

I think she looked lovely, although I am not a fan of YSL dress at all. Her hair however got an immediate wow from me.

Frederic Fekkai stylist Renato Campora did her hairusing all Fekkai products and calls the look a modern day Grace Kelly . In this image she really does look like Grace from that side view.

How to get the look: Start by applying Fekkai More All Day Styling Whip on wet hair. Blow-dry smooth with the Fekkai extra large round brush to create some volume. Then use a one inch curling iron and let it set for 20 minutes. Brush it through and use the Fekkai Coiff Magnifique Ultra Light Finishing Creme at the ends to help roll hair under. Finish with Fekkai Sheer Hold Hairspray( Campora said he used lots of this and you'd have too to get that look to stay up.) Love it.

Kate's makeup was done by Jillian Dempsey and what I loved most was her lip shade and blush. Lancôme Color Fever Lipstick in Old Flame was used on lips. No word yet on blush. Oh and if you loved those bold brows( jury is out here), Lancôme Brow Expert in Naturel was used on them.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Still trying to wade through all the info and looks from Fashion Week. Here we have a bit of a wrap up although I have a few more face and hair look posts to come.

So some observations and thoughts:

- Francois Nars, the man who is NARS cosmetics did his first runway show in 10 years for Marc Jacobs. The model with the wild but awesome green eyeshadow is on of the 65 individual looks he did. Oh to have been backstage to see that. I love this eye, ok it's not wearable in everyday life but the green shade is fab and can be used more sparingly for a great look. I love that it's paired with strong blush too. You can do both if you do it well. This whole look is very 80s, and they are coming back in a big way.

- New from MAC- A permanent Dazzleglass collection for Spring, black lipgloss for fall and the the return of Twig lipstick .

- The cute doggie is Robert Verdi's pup Lucy. The door greeter at his Lounge space. She has a big bark for a little girl and is so cute. They said they put that pillow on the floor as decor and the dog immediately took it over. Been there.

-It was hard to pinpoint definite trends, but a muted berry lip is defintely one and ahain, flawless but not overdone skin. Many shows were all about simply accentuating features, but them many did color, and a lot of it was green.

- The American Express Skybox is awesome. Christian Siriano was visiting the guests when I was there, and throughout the week many designers/celebs come through. The windows to see the shows are large and there are couches , chairs, a bar and food all provided for guests as well as a guided trip to Bergdorf Goodman and a 200 gift card for there. They also have emerging talent set up trunk shows to show their jewelry to the attendees. It's a great chance for someone not in a big store to get some exposure. Alyssa Norton had her cute pieces using old vintage jewelry in the case when I was there. Many moms and daughters come to this together which sound so fun. There were a lot of patient husbands too.

The room was designed by Jonathan Adler this year and his fun pottery pieces were set around.

I have to say that before I saw the space I wasn't really sure it was worth the money to go to it. Now that I've been in there, I can say it is totally worth it if it's in your budget. If you love fashion, you'll have a great time.

- Ann Wintour must have privacy. At the Vena Cava show I asked to stay for the presentation and was told fine, as long as I don't come out when Anna Wintour was there. She was coming for a private showing , no extras allowed. Whatever, I was only interested in the clothes, thank you very much.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Lancome provided the makeup for designer Chris Benz's show this past week. It gives us a sneak peek at some new for Fall products that will be coming soon.

Since the image is hard to read, I'll recap some if it.

Fall will be called Declaring Indigo, 3 new LE nail polished called Indigo paris( bright blue), Golden Audacity( opaque gold- this one has my name all over it), and Rouge Liberty( perfect red) are part of it. Also new: cream eyeliner /shadow in Indigo Charm was used on eyes with of all things the new Piha Black lipgloss. The lipgloss on eyes is an often used makeup artist trick.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Badgley Mischka's newest scent Badgley Mischka Couture is making it's introduction today, but I got a sniff in last week .

The first fragrance from the designing duo was a beautiful elegant floral. The Couture version is equally elegant but a floriental.

The perfume started off with a hint of Angel lite on me, no not as strong as that one, but with some hint of those notes, it then began drying down into the oriental notes and also blackberry being very prominent. There is a good bit of fruit here for a floriental but it's not too sweet. It's all balanced nicely. Sillage is medium and it lasts well. Floriental's usually do. It comes also in a parfum elixir that I very much want to try next.

The bottle for this is simply gorgeous and looks wonderful on the vanity . A little old fashioned and very luxe.

The designers were inspired by the feeling a woman gets when she slips on a couture gown- sexy. alluring, confident. The new fragrance they say, embodies their passion for making women feel beautiful .

Full notes :Top:Opens with accents of rich, sensual Purple Plum and Blackberry, with a touch of fresh Pear Nectar.

Middle:Creamy notes of lush Jasmine, voluptuous Gardenia and Violet are woven through the fragrance to create a feminine, floral blend.

So you want to look like Heidi Klum? Well at least your makeup can. Victoria's Secret has launched a Spring Look kit that will used on Heidi for her Oscar night makeup. Developed with makeup artist Linda Hay the kit includes:

Heidi will also be wearing a Diet Coke Heart Truth campaign red dress again this year designed by Roland Mouret. I wasn't a big fan of last year's dress but I love Mouret's designs , so we'll see. At least we know it will be red.

The makeup kit sells for $ 49.00, but if you go to a store and say Heidi sent you, you can get $ 10.00 off ( not sure how long thats good)

If you haven't used VS makeup , it's really quite good. Nice pigment and blending in the eyeshadows/blushes.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

When in NY last Saturday I got a nice mani in one of the new shades from OPI's South beach collection for spring that just came out.

I picked Done Up In Deco , a medium pale purple/lavender with a hint of periwinkle to it. It looks so good and I got so many complements. It's not your basic shade but not too wild either. It's very Easter egg like I think.

The rest of the collection is very pretty but "Deco" is the most unusual shade in it. The rest are hot pinks, corals and bronzes and more that will be rockin' pedi colors.

I got bottles of Sand In My Suit-a frosty sand shade, and OPI On Collins Ave.- a flat hot coral . Love them both and they totally say Summer.

Monday, February 16, 2009

My first backstage stop was at Ohne Titel. They may not get loads of mainstream press but the fashion people love them and rightly so.

Bumble and bumble were doing the hair. Lead stylist Jimmy Paul was a fun and patient interviewee. What I noticed first on many of the girls was these funny little knots on their heads. He said they are called " zulu" knots. They give hair a nice loose texture when undone. This he said is an easy look to achieve at home as well. Mist hair with some Surf Spray , twist up, leave for about 20 minutes and you'll have that beachy texture.

After the knots are undone, the hair was pulled from the forehead down into a low ponytail under that rest of the hair. They wanted no hair falling down towards the face.

Mark Carrasquillo was the lead makeup artist for MAC. Here he was just taking the girls skintone and accentuating it. Cheeks were contoured, lips darkened just a bit more than the natural shade. It was all a natural , sculpted look. Studio Sculpt foundation was very much in use here. One artist had whole bagful of little bottles of it in all tones.

Ohne Titel's show was a study in brown and black. Best look was the first one out, an asymmetrical zip black wool trench , that was a bit 80s. One I would gladly wear . There were lots of zippers, leggings under short dresses ( leggings are everywhere in NY right now, in shows, on people at the shows), draped tunic tops.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

There are so many highlights to going to fashion week, but one big one was seeing makeup maestro Vincent Longo in action at the Vena Cava show/presentation. Longo doesn't do too many shows himself, so when the opportunity came to see him I grabbed it. Uber hairstylist and really nice guy Ted Gibson was there as well. Both were doing the show via Beauty.com

Can I say Ted Gibson was the first backstage person who ever said " I'm sorry but I have to run". No one is rude, but if they have to go, they just go. After all they are unbelievably busy and on a deadline. Gibson was nice and fun. He did rockin' hair too. A very modern 80s high on top, slicked back at ears look that I love.

Longo created the eye look using this hot orange shade from the Aquila quad ( I have to have this now, have to) and Silky Liquid Shadow in Orange. After many shows with a nude or muted eye this color was not only refreshing but just beautiful. I couldn't stop swooning over it. Black eyeliner was layered over it and nice big lashes. As for lashes, the model pictured- those lashes are her own. Yes no falsies. All hers, unreal.

Longo also "thickened and contoured the brows to frame the face, and finished the look with a natural lip and matte, porcelain complexion"

I've got some images of the clothes at Vena Cava as well. The models were posed atop an art installation made of crushed CDs. It looked like mica sparkles. What really caught my eye were the shoes. Vena Cava does shoes for Via Spiga and since I adore any shoe with studs I am totally into both the ladies brogues( Brogues with studs? who knew? ) and the boots.

Butter London previewed a deep Forest Green nail polish that everyone raved over. It will be part of the fall line.

Lastly I have shots of the tables backstage to give you a good look at what products were used and how it looks back there. Can I say how badly I want to play with all makeup?

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Haslton has gone the route this season of a video presentation of the collection for Fall 2009. It's more video than clothes but they are in there. Halfway through there is a black sequin evening coat that looks superb.

I'm not sure what I think about videos like this. It's great to that everyone can to see the clothes at the same time and not have to be at a show, but straight images give you a better look at the clothes themselves.

Definitely more cost effective and no doubt part of what they were thinking. Halston has undergone many changes recently, and it's good to see them out there at all.

Friday, February 13, 2009

February is Women's Heart Month and it's a very important issue to be aware of. I encourage each of you to talk to your doc about your heart health. Make sure to get an EKG, a stress test if you're older and regular blood screenings.

Today is the Red Dress Heart Show in NY. I was invited but won't be there in time. Pics will be on the net and here is info what Bobbi Brown, who will be doing the makeup for the show has created for Heart Month.

Update: adding some pics from the show. Kristi Yamaguchi in Vera Wang and a group shot led by Daisy Fuentes. Those who were there said it was a great show with a star trun by Wonder Woman herself- Lynda Carter. Go girl.

"This year Bobbi created an exclusive, limited-edition Lip Gloss Trio in partnership with the Heart Truth campaign and its annual Red Dress Collection Fashion Show to raise awareness that heart disease is the #1 killer of women.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Pantene has brought out the Nature Fusion Hair care line in Moisture Balance and Smooth Vitality.

A more natural approach to haircare at the drugstore level, there are the two lines to suit most hair types.

Pantene has always been one of the better drugstore brands and it's nice to see them thinking more natural. It helps that these are really good products. I have the Moisture Balance shampoo and conditioner. I liked it and felt it did a great job of cleansing without weighing down and it has a great smell. More so, when I was telling the Mom about it, she decided she wanted to try it. Now Mom has double processed , fine hair thats not too dry and is very into volume. She rarely wavers from her main Nexxus shampoo, whether for another high end one or drugstore. Her hair is fussy and so then is she with it. Well she loved this. She got some volume, and her hair had plenty of body. No heaviness, no over moisture. She is happy to have a 3.99 version to alternate with her 16.00 one. It can be hard to give up high end, but saving money is nice too. Compromise, maybe ?

So it's good stuff and it's very inexpensive. Worth a try. Each line has styling products as well.

Here's some more info on the line from Pantene:

"The formula contains proprietary Cassia Complex and avocado, bamboo and grapeseed extracts to transform frizzy hair to a silky, smooth texture & Anionic surfactants and the Cassia polymer form the Cassia Complex, which helps protect hair against cuticle damage caused by friction . Itgently cleans hair to help remove dirt and oil, while smoothing and increasing shine"

"Pantene has unlocked the power of nature with Nature Fusion, infusing the once hidden beauty benefits of the Cassia plant into its formulas. Cassia is a naturally derived performance ingredient that helps transform hair to make it softer, shinier and stronger. The new shampoos contain an advanced Cassia Complex that creates a protective shield to leave hair naturally radiant and stronger against damage. This unique discovery of the multiple beauty benefits of the Cassia plant provides women seeking healthy hair care outstanding performance through a more natural route."